“Well,” she said, “you are very polite. You stand as if you were nailed to the ground, instead of running after my hat.”
I did not suffer her to say this twice, but, running after the ugly old hat, caught it just before it could disappear in one of the sand pits. She followed me, but unfortunately caught the train of her riding-habit in a bush, which tripped her, and caused her to fall with her beautiful locks of hair amongst the briers. At first she refused all assistance, but in the end she was obliged to let me disentangle her hair—a circumstance which annoyed her much more than the accident itself. I knelt beside her, and heaven knows with what care I loosened one lock after the other. This, however, was a work of time, as she was very impatient, and her struggles were every now and then undoing the little I had accomplished.
“Now you see into what a predicament your precious advice has brought me; how much more practical my own arrangement was! The handkerchief looked inelegant, if you like, but it would have prevented me this trouble. Why did I swerve from my principles? Why was I led astray by other people’s ideas?”
At last I could say, “You are free!” at the same time holding out my hand to assist her in rising. But no, she would have no further aid from me; and bounding up like a hart, requested me to walk on in front whilst she arranged her dress. She was not long about it, and when she overtook me the hateful handkerchief was tied round her hat again, and I had lost my right to protest against it.
She now took my arm of her own accord, and said gaily, “This I do, Leo, to recompense you for being so generous as not to revenge yourself by laughing at me in my distress.”
“Laugh at you, Francis! I was frightened.”
“There was not much to be frightened about; but I was really afraid you would mock me and pay me back in my own coin.”
As we walked on we continued to discuss the subject of female propriety, she claiming the right to live according to her own ideas, without any regard for public opinion; I maintaining that reserve and gentleness are more becoming in a woman, from every point of view, than trying to set public opinion at defiance. She, however, interrupted the conversation by pointing out the Werve to me as soon as we came in sight of it.
“Now,” she said, “I request you to tell me plainly the object of your visit to the General, before I introduce you to the house.”
“I have already told you: I wish to make the acquaintance of my mother’s relations.”